Dikembe Mutombo, the basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the greatest defenders in NBA history and a global ambassador for the sport, died Monday after a battle with a brain tumor, the league said. He was 58 years old.
His family revealed two years ago that Mutombo was receiving treatment in Atlanta for brain cancer.
The NBA said Mutombo died surrounded by family.
“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver. “On the court, he was one of the best shot blockers and defensive players in NBA history. “Off the court, he gave his heart and soul to helping others.”
Born in Congo, Mutombo played 18 seasons in the NBA, playing for Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, the New York Knicks and the then New Jersey Nets.
Mutombo was unique in different ways — every time he said “no” with his finger when blocking an opponent’s shot, his height, his deep voice, his radiant smile. The players of the current generation have him as an idol. Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers star who was born in Cameroon, had Mutombo as an inspiration.
“It’s a sad day, especially for us Africans, everyone,” Embiid said Monday. “Apart from what he achieved on the court, I think he was much better off the court. He is one I admired for his impact on and off the court. He did so many great works. Many great works for so many people. He was a model for me. “It’s a sad day.”
The 2.18-meter (7.2-foot) center came up at Georgetown University, then had a professional career in which he was selected to the NBA All-Star Game eight times. He was proclaimed the best defensive player in the league four times, in addition to receiving three ‘All-NBA’ selections.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015 after a career in which he averaged 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
He also starred in one of the most iconic moments of the postseason when the eighth-seeded Denver Nuggets eliminated first-ranked Seattle in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. That best-of-five series marked the first time in NBA history that the eighth left out the first.
“It’s hard to believe,” said Toronto president Masai Ujiri, who reacted with shock Monday when he heard the news of Mutombo’s death. “It will be hard not to be able to count on him. You have no idea what meaning Dikembe Mutombo had for me… He was the one who allowed us to be where we are. “He was a giant, an incredible person.”
Mutombo played until the 2008-09 season. After retiring, he dedicated himself to humanitarian causes and charity work. He spoke nine languages and founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, focusing on improving health, education and quality of life in his native Congo.
He served on the boards of several organizations, including the Special Olympics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation, and the US National Board for UNICEF.
“There was no one more qualified than Dikembe to be the NBA’s first global ambassador,” Silver stressed. “He was a humanitarian by nature. “He loved what basketball could do to have a positive impact on communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and across the African continent.”
